Idris Elba spoke more about his plans to help build Africa’s entertainment industry. The Golden Globe winner said he plans to build film studios in Ghana and Tanzania. A 2021 UNESCO report stated that the film industry could help add $20 billion to Africa’s entertainment industry to total GDP.
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Idris Elba has set his sights on moving to Africa, he said in an interview published this week.
The 52-year-old actor, known for his roles on hit shows such as The Wire and Luther, told the BBC in an interview in Accra, Ghana, that he is committed to promoting Ghana’s blossoming film industry. Ta.
“I think they will (move) within the next five to 10 years,” he said. “I’m here to strengthen the film industry. It’s a 10-year process. You can’t do it from abroad. You have to be at home, on the continent.”
“I would definitely consider settling here. I haven’t even thought about it, but it will happen,” he continued, adding, “I’m going to live in Accra, I’m going to live in Freetown, And I’m going to live here,” he added. I’m going to go to Zanzibar, where they’re telling the story. ”
Elba, who was born in London to a Sierra Leonean father and a Ghanaian mother, had previously announced plans to build a film studio in Tanzania, and was given land on the Zanzibar Islands to do so, the BBC reported. It was reported in the month.
He also reportedly discussed plans to build another studio in Ghana last year.
“Currently we call it West Africa Studios, but that is a working name. We have been working for three or four years to develop a plan to put the facility at the heart of African film production,” he said. I did.
Africa’s film industry is growing rapidly, and the success of certain major streaming titles, such as Netflix’s Nigerian crime thriller Black Book, has increased optimism about the sector.
With the digital revolution allowing creators to distribute their work directly and increasing access to more affordable filming equipment, more and more people across Africa are becoming interested in the industry and new A generation of filmmakers “can now make a living from the online revenue generated from their work,” according to a 2021 UNESCO report.
And it seems that this interest is being conveyed to the viewers as well. The number of subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) subscribers in Africa is expected to reach 18 million by 2029, up from 8 million at the end of last year, according to a 2023 Digital TV Research report. There is.
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The UNESCO report said the sector could also be key to creating jobs and revitalizing local economies.
The report said Africa’s film and audiovisual industry could create more than 20 million jobs and add $20 billion to the continent’s total GDP.
However, the industry is also hampered by issues such as copyright infringement, restrictions on freedom of expression, and a lack of theaters. According to a UNESCO report, in 2021 there was one cinema screen for every 787,402 people in Africa.
“Africa’s film and audiovisual sector remains historically and structurally underfunded, underdeveloped and undervalued,” the report said.
But Elba believes that is about to change for Africa’s entertainment industry as a whole.
“It’s going to continue to grow, and it has the potential to grow,” he told CNN earlier this month.
